Hempstead Lake State Park, Frank Melville Park, Avalon Preserve: Tennessee Warbler

What seemed a slow day beginning at HLSP quickly turned into a great day.  At first the only notable bird I saw was an Ovenbird, but then I walked down to the dried up pond - I noticed my FOS White Throated Sparrows and a Rusty Blackbird.  A closer look around the pond and I started seeing a loose flock of warblers.  Walking in and around the pond I saw Northern Waterthrush, lots of Northern Parulas, a few Black Throated Blue Warblers, Yellow Rumped Wabler, Palm Warblers, a Black Throated Green and one or 2 lifer Tennessee Warblers!

A walked in Frank Melville Park produced a gorgeous looking Eurasian Wigeon hybrid, Gadwall, American Wigeon, a Green Heron, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron and several Snowy Egrets.  I headed over to Avalon Preserve to try my luck finding Bobwhites - after a while I found a bunch but they got spooked into the weeds - with a little patience I waited and they came back out - a group of 8!

Jones Beach West End

I took a quick ride to Jones Beach West End - there were some Red Knots on the Coast Guard sandbar and at the West End 2 lot there was a small group of Lesser Black Gulls of various ages - always nice to see.

Lesser Black Backed Gulls

Uplands Farm Sanctuary, Cold Spring Harbor

I took a chance and figured I might find a lifer flycatcher - didn't see anything new, but did see Phoebes and a Red Tailed Hawk divebomb it's dinner.  I also saw a group of Red Winged Blackbirds - mostly juveniles.

Kissena Park, Garvies Point

I tried looking for lifer warblers at these locations - didn't see any new ones but did see some neat birds.  At Kissena Park and corridor saw Nashville, Palm, Prairie, Black and White Warblers, a "brown" Blue Grosbeak and a Kestrel.  At Garvies Point saw Common Yellowthroats, Parula, Black Throated Blue Warblers, Ovenbird, 3 types of Vireos, Scarlett Tanager and a bunch of Hummingbirds feeding on Impatiens capensis.

Massapequa Lake: Nassau County Common Gallinules

I decided it was long overdue to check out Massapequa Lake - I was pleasanty surpised when I saw 2 Common Gallinules!  They continued for about a week.  I also saw Northern Shovelers, Coots, Green Heron, Parulas, a Pewee and a Coopers Hawk? harassing an Osprey.

Hempstead Lake State Park

I went to HLSP to try to find a continuing Philadelphia Vireo - didn't have any luck and it was quiet except for the dried up pond that had a lot of action.  Some nice consolation prizes were Wilson's Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler, and 2 Redstarts.

Fall "Migration", Avalon Preserve: Bobwhite

I was at many locations this day and it was unusually quiet.  (Jones Beach WE, Avalon Preserve, Chandler Estate, Sunken Meadow State Park)  There should be more songbirds coming through this time of year - there were a few around but I had to work hard for them.  Highlights were a Common Eider, 2 Palm Warblers, Prairie Warbler, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers from Jones Beach West End.  The best find for the day was at Avalon Preserve where I saw my lifer Bobwhites!  I saw 4 juveniles and heard an adult calling from the middle of a grassy field.  Presumably, these juveniles are the babies born at the preserve from re-introduced adults.  At Chandler Estate, Mt Sinai I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting, however it was 2:30pm.

Common Eider

Bobwhite

Bobwhite

Smith Point

I looked through the gulls in the parking lot - found an interesting Great Black Backed Gull and a Lesser Black Backed.

juvenile Great Black Backed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

North Fork Sod Fields

Started the day at Jones Beach West End where the highlight was a lot of Red Breasted Nuthatches, apparently the result of an irruption because the northern pine cone seed "crop" were low.  Later, I took a drive out to the sod fields out east with Snouty to look for Golden Plovers since I've only seen one once and it was a juvenile.  There were about 60 Golden Plovers near Sound Avenue, some in adult plumage, as well as 2 Buff Breasted Sandpipers although they could only be seen from a distance.  Also saw a Turkey Vulture.

Red Breasted Nuthatch

American Golden Plovers